The present invention relates to a radial arrangement of keys in a telephone, the keys having means for tactically indicating the relative location of each key. The key arrangement is particularly suited to mobile phones.
Telephones and in particular mobile telephones have become widely available and have many different shapes and configurations. Despite the large number of independent manufacturers some features of telephones are used in most types of telephones. One feature which is common to many is the keypad for inputting numbers, text and functions. The key arrangement must have a minimum of ten individual keys, one key for each digit from zero to nine. Each key is also usually assigned one or more other characters such as letters which can be input utilizing the digit keys by selecting a letter input mode of the key arrangement.
The layout of the key arrangement has become standardized over the years. In the conventional layout the ten keys of the key arrangement discussed above are laid out in a set format. Usually the keys are laid out in a rectangular matrix array which has a number of parallel linear rows running transversely across the telephone, each row typically having 3 or 4 spaced apart keys and a number of parallel linear columns running perpendicularly to the rows each of about five spaced apart keys so that each key is arranged on the intersection of one row and one column. Additional keys are more commonly provided for other characters or functions, as for example, a hash xe2x80x9c#xe2x80x9d key and an asterisk xe2x80x9c*xe2x80x9d key. These latter two keys are provided in the same array as the other keys. Other keys which may be provided with mobile telephones may include a call initiation key, a call termination key and one or more other function select keys. A more recent addition to the key arrangement in mobile telephones is a scroll key which may allow scrolling in two directions, such as from left to right or in four directions including left and right and also up and down.
The conventional arrangement has been in use for some time and there are associated undesirable problems for at least some key arrangements. Particularly for mobile telephones there is a desire to make the telephone ever more compact requiring the compression of the features of the telephone including the key arrangement. Miniaturization of the keys presents some difficulty for a human finger to easily press only one rather than two or more keys at the same time. With smaller key arrangements knowledge of the key location without the need for total visual confirmation is important. Tactile feedback from the keys will help the user located the keys.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement of keys which presents less difficulty to find the location of the keys with little or no visual confirmation of the key location. Such an arrangement includes means for providing tactile feedback of the key""s location. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention the keys are all located in one plane in the telephone. The plane has a radial focal point and a peripheral area about the focal point. A set of at least nine independently manually actuable keys are arranged in the plane. Each key has an upper contact surface. Eight of the keys are radially arranged on the peripheral area of the plane about the focal point of the plane along a path defining a closed curve. One key is located at the focal point. Each key has means for tactily indicating its position with respect to all of the other keys.
As disclosed herein the tactile indicating means may include a cross sectional shape of the upper contact surface of each key. The shape of the upper contact surface of each key includes a major axis and a minor axis and the major axis of each radially arranged key may be designed to extend through the radial focal point. The tactile indicating means may also include a slope on the upper contact surface of each key. The slope will create one tall side and one short side, a line between the tall and short side of each radially located keys may pass through the radial focal point of the plane.
Preferably the keys are spaced apart equidistant from one another. The arrangement may include at least one of the additional key positioned within the area bounded by the radially arranged keys. A further embodiment may have at least twelve keys, ten of the keys radially arranged on the peripheral area about the focal point of the plane and two keys arranged at opposite sides of the focal point. Another embodiment may have all of the keys formed in one key pad.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings